A Little Late
by dart53
Summary: Just a one shot of the guys playing catch up.


Hey! What's a matter? What 'r you doin' in here all by yourself?"

Goniff shrugged and shifted in his seat a little so his back was all Casino could see. He mumbled something but the safe cracker couldn't quite make it out.

"Come on! What's goin' on here? You'r usually right in the middle of everything!"

They'd been organizing a party down in the kitchen and when the little cat burglar had wandered down the stairs and seen them at it his eyes lit up and he started grinning like a five year old. One of the guards was having a birthday and… Hey! Any excuse for a party right? Anything to break the monotony between missions. Soon as Casino told him what it was all about the spark went out pretty fast and within a few moments he'd disappeared. Everything was ready now though and the group's explosives expert had been dispatched on a hunt to get everyone downstairs for the surprise, Goniff was the last of his prey.

"Jeeze! We gotta get back down there or we'll spoil the surprise." Wrapping a hand around the second story man's arm he tried to haul him to his feet but Goniff slipped out of his grasp.

"Go on. You can do it without me. I don't feel much like celebratin' anyway."

"Now none a that!" Casino grabbed hold of the cockney's arm again and pulled him around in his seat so he was facing him, he latched onto the other arm too, just so he couldn't get away again. "That guy doesn't have anybody else right now, Goniff. He's over here a million miles from his family and we're just trying to cheer him up a little on his birthday, that's all. You don't want a be the only one that messes that up!" Caisno leaned back and gave a pull. "On your feet, you dumb Limey, we gotta get down there! We're the last ones."

Casino was bigger than him, and stronger. He was also stubborn enough that once he got an idea in his head, even if a bloke didn't want no part of it, it was easier just to go along with him and get it over with. Goniff heaved a sigh, set his glass aside on the table and let himself be pulled from his chair. A firm hand on his shoulder propelled him across the room and down the stairs to the lower level. When they got close to the bottom of the stairs and could hear the murmur of voices in the kitchen below he tried to get out of it again. "C' mon, Casino. I'm just one bloke. They won't miss me and I really…"

"Are you nuts! You'r gonna be the life a the party." Casino assured him as his grip tightened on his shoulder. "Nobody else knows all those magic tricks do they?"

"Well, no but…"

"No 'buts'. " The burly east coast thief decided. "Jeeze! We need some entertainment, we ain't got the money… so you'r it!" And he shoved the little Brit down the last two steps and into the kitchen.

Most of the guard detail was there, the ones that didn't have to be on duty on the gate or patroling the grounds, and now that they were here all of the guys. Actor and Chief both raised their glasses to the late comers when they saw them come in. Goniff craned his neck and and caught sight of the Warden winding his way through the gathering towards them.

"Good! I didn't think you'd find him in time. Now Goniff this is what I want you to do." Garrison stepped close and dropped his voice, laying out the plan just like they were on a mission. "He's already down here, but he doesn't know what's up. I need you to keep everybody occupied for another," the Warden gave his watch a quick look, "five minutes. There was a little trouble with the cake and as soon as they get it fixed they'll bring it in and we can get this show on the road." He clapped his second story man on the shoulder and shoved him towards the center of the room as disappear to fulfill his part of the job.

Goniff glanced around at the men surrounding him and saw expectation and eagerness reflected on their faces. They all knew he did card tricks and a bit of magic. He told a good joke too and it was common for him to to a bit of his trickery if more than just a few of them were gathered together… It was one of the ways they distracted the guards when they wanted to get off the grounds for a little time down at the pub… The group of men gathered around him knew that too. He gave a nervous little laugh and reached into his pocket for a coin… Disappearing coin tricks were a good place to start.

Within a few moments the crowd was hooked and Goniff had almost forgotten his reluctance to be part of this party as he joined in their laughter. The men had formed a knot around him as they called out for him to perform their favorite trick or tell a favorite joke. Some of them even joined in by starting out "Do you know the one about?..." Very often he did know that one, or one even better, but today it seemed the fellas were eager to be part of the entertainment, not just the audience so he played dumb and let them elbow him aside and take center stage. After a bit he was having himself so much fun that he'd almost forgotten what the celebration was for, that it was some other bloke's birthday they were come together for, not his. His had been a few days before and no one had remembered. But they'd been on a mission then… and this was almost as good.

Goniff was a little back in the crowd when the door opened and Sergeant Major Rawlins rolled the trolley in followed by the Warden. He hopped up on a low bench so he could pick out the one who the celebration was for, see his reaction to findin' out he was the reason for all the trouble his mates had gone to. The crowd of men all turned to watch the cart come. 'This'll be good,' he thought as he scanned the faces. 'the bloke doesn't have a clue!' And he kept scanning the faces, still looking for the one who's birthday it was, still watching the gathering watch the progress of the trolley with the silver cover on it… until they were all facin' towards his perch, and the cart stopped right in front of him.


End file.
